Meat tenderizer



Patented jan. 31', 1950 MEAT TENDERIZER Stephen A..Slauson, Cedar Rapids, Iowa, assignor y' to National Stamping &` Plating Corporation, Cedar Rapids,- Iowa, a corporation of Iowa Application January 2, 1946, Serial No. A638,683

f.. VThe present invention rela-tes generally to meat tenderizers and more particularly to manually operated or mace-like devices used for dicing, .tenderizing and amalgamating the poorer cuts ,of meat into palatable steaks and the like. I

5 ciaims. (Cl. 17-30) ,The principal object `of this invention is the provision of a hand operated meattenderizer having very etilcient cutting knives Which may be easily removed, for sharpening, replacing or the like, and a further object of this invention is-the provision of4 a, device of this kind which is sanitary to use, easilyY cleaned, and easily disassembled for cleaning. Moreparticularly, itiis an important feature of this invention to4 provide "a hand operated meat tenderizer having an improved knife supporting structure which is provided with means for keeping the knives'pulled tight in the frame, and a further feature is the provision of an open frame which leaves no place for particles of meat to accumulate.

p, An additional object of this invention 1s ,the

.provision of an improved meat tenderizer 4having a plurality of cutting blades interspaced with a. .plurality of separately and independently mounted ejectors which are spring biased and self-cleaning,

Other and further-*features and objects'of the invention will -bemore-apparent to those skilled in the art upon a consideration of the accom- Vpanylng drawings and following specification, i,

wherein is disclosed a single 'exemplary embodiment of the invention, with the-understanding, however, that such changes may be made therein, as fall within the scope of the appended claims, without departing from the spirit of the inven- A In lthe drawings: Y

. Figure 1 is a side view of--a meat tenderlzer in `which the principles of the present invention have "been incorporated.

` Figure 2 'isea sectional view taken generally along the line 2-2 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a perspective view of one of the ejectors and Figure 4 is a partial perspective view of one of the knife supports.

Referring now more particularly to Figure 1 in which the reference numeral I indicates the frame of the device; this frame I is comprised of a handle 2 which is shaped so that it easily fits the hand, and a pair of frame bars 3 and 4, constructed right and left hand. Each frame bar 3 and 4 has a rear extension 'l which sets in a recess formed in the handle 2 to receive it, the frame bars being curved so as to offset the extensions 1 and space. them apart so as to receive-the handle therebetween. The central portions of the frame bars 3 and 4 are disposed in cc'inta'ct with each .other and are 'apertured to receive'.aconnecting bolt 8, which bolt holdsthe frame bars rigidly together. At the end opposite the extension 1, each bar is formed to extend laterally outwardly, as indicated 'at II and I2. At the points where the frame bars 3 and 4 curve so as to form the lateral extensions, each bar is slotted, asat I3 and I4, to provide a socket to receive the' flattened head I5 of a clamping and adjusting bolt I6, The latteris provided with a wing nut" Il. .The frame bars 3 and 4 are formed with rear lateral extensions I8, one at each side of the device, each of which is apertured .and tapped to receive ascrew I9 by which a transverse rear knife holder 20 is firmly afxed to Vthe frame I. .The lateral extensions II and I2 formed on the foreward ends of the frame members 3 and 4 terminate in forwardly turned lugs 23 and 24 which receive and support a lpivoted front knife holder 25.

As best shown in Figure 4, the front knife 'holder has an Vupwardly extending tongue 21 which isapertured, as at 28, to receive the adjusting bolt I6. This tongue is also provided with "a pairofj openings 291to receive the Llugs 23 and 24.3 The lower part-ofthe forewardknife holder 25isbent along its llower edge 'tol form a roll or -bead- 33 to; receive the knife pinV 35k, this bead being cut or slit Vat a plurality of points, as shown at 34 (Figure 4), to thus provide knife receivvTing slots. The knife pin 35,`as` fbest shown in `.Figure 2, extendslaterally beyond the frame I ,and the edges of the front knife holder, one end 4of the pin 35 having a head 31,;The rear knife :holder 20 has a similar roll or bead 38 along its .lower edge which receives a knife pin 39 and which is also slotted to receive theknives.

Aplurality of knives 40 are carried on the pins 35 and 39. Eachifknife, as best shown in Figure 1, is made as a rectangular part, notched along its lower edge, as at 4 I, to provide a plurality of relatively short separated cutting edges 42. Also, each knife has an apertured extension at each end, as shown at 44 and 45, the apertures permita,

ting the mounting of the knives 4U on the pins 35 and 39, as shown at Figure 1, the knife ends 44 and 45 being received in the slots 34 of the front knife holder 25 and in the similar slots in the rear knife holder 2|). As will be seen from Figure 1, whenever the nut I1 is tightened., the front knife holder 25 acts as a lever and urges 3 the pin 35 outwardly, thus placing all of the knives or blades 40 in tension.

Between each knife and the adjacent knife is an ejector 48. As best shown in Figure 3, each a pair of outwardly extending flanges 55 adja'-A cent the ends thereof. The several ejectors are disposed loosely between the associated knives but are biased for downward movement relative as shown in Figures 1 and 2. The apertures 50 4 3. A meat tenderizer comprising a main frame, a looped part on one end of said frame andxed thereto, a pin loosely disposed in said l'oped part, a second looped part movably connectedr with the other end of said frame, a pin loosely disposed in said second looped part, a plurality .of blades, each having aperturedend-s, carried on said pins, means for adjusting said second part on said frame so as to tighten said blades and ,hold said pins in said looped parts, either or both of said pin-s being removable Iwhen said second part' is" loosened, ejectors movably mounted bein the side walls of ejectors-l aid in self cleaning of ejectors.

A yoke 58 overlies the several knives and ejec-v l01s, contacting the upper edges 53` and54 of the SQ as" toextend into and interlock'in' the slots 5l.

Eac'hspring 53 has a coiled section 54 spaced fr orn" the end 62,' the said coiled section being disposed about 'and carried on the associated end fof the knife, ,pin 35.' Beyondthe coiled section ,55, each spring 33 hasl its end 65 shaped to hook into'an opening 51 in the front knife holder 25. Q'Ifh'e springs 63 are tensioned to urge the yoke 58 downwardly but yield upwardly in use.

The knives and ejectors arek readily removed merely byloosening the wing nut ll, thus reliev- 'ing` the tension on vthe"blades. vThe pin 35 may en'be readilypulled out, releasing the springs 1 permitting "'thedet'achment of the yoke 58 f andjtheremoval of the ejectors and knives,

1 Altliough'. l1 have described a specic embodi- `mentormyinventiomit isapparent that modifications thereof may' be made by those skilled J i r i""tl i ;fart.f vSuch modifications may be made without' departing from the spirit and-scope of y inventionas setA forth in the appended claims.

g" What jI claim is:

. A Vmeat tenderizer comprising a plurality of blades :spaced apart laterally,- a plurality of ejeci v, t'ors; between said-blades, each of said' electors lii'a'viing'a notch at one side, and a biased member extending across said blades and seatedl in the "notches of said electors.

' 2. `Inv a meat tenderizer, a plurality of spaced lil-ademV a pluralityof channel-shaped ejectors 55 4vpositioned therebetv'veen,l and mean-sifor biasing Isaid" ejectors downwardly between said blades,

@the said ejector-s havingaperturesin the side "walls thereof extending longitudinally`v adjacent the lower vportions'thereof, whereby meat parti- '50 W2 m9 434 'el'es -may fall through said openings and out of the said -channel-s'haped ejectors.

,tween said blades, and spring means mounted on ftors in positionbetween said blades.

4. A meat tenderizer comprising a main frame, a looped part on one end of said frame and fixed thereto, a pin loosely disposed in said looped part, a second looped part movably connected with the other vend of said fra m e, a pin loosely disposedin said second looped part, a plurality of blades, each having apertured ends, carried on said pins', fmeans for adjusting said second part 'onsaid frame so as to tighten said blades and yhold said pins in said looped parts, either or both of Said pins being removable when sai d s e c ond part is loosened, .ejectors movably mounted between said blades, and spring means urging said'fejectors downwardly into ejectlng' position between the.bladeS. .l i' 5. In a meatv tenderizer,V a handle, a' plurality of spaced blades, vmeans. adjacent' the endstherejof detachably securing saidblades'to said4 handle, a plurality. of channel-shaped electors disposed between' the. blades, each ejector having a late r allyjextending flange portion thereof adapted t9 overlie the top edg'e of an" adjacentblade to limit downward movement of ysaid ejector, and spring'- biased means in engagement with the ejectors and lurging them downwardly,the side-wall por'- tions of. theejectors havinglongitudina'lly ex: tendingslotsdisposed adjacent the lower portions thereof v'tdpermit discharge of meat particles therethrough fromV betweenthe said bladesy and Name -437,51? Severance -..v .y Sept. 30, 189D 456,670 Fugate July 28, 18911 '764,374 Remsen s v.1u1y..5, 1904 21,027,020 Waters 1 May 21,1912 ,Y 1,237,162 Brazeau a Aug.` 14, v.191.7 1,421,458 Gregory .,g-.. Julyl, 1922 v- Qliver 

